Daryl Murphy opened the scoring in the second half after coming together with Burnley keeper Lee Grant – in a moment that had McCarthy and his opposite number, Sean Dyche, disagreeing about the validity of the goal.

Sam Vokes equalised for the Clarets, his header seemingly taking a deflection off Danny Higginbotham, but a lightning break involving Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Carlos Edwards ended with a smart finish by DJ Campbell in the 87th minute.

Summing up, McCarthy said: “It wasn’t pretty or silky or sexy. But it was dogged and determined and all those horrible words that people don’t like – but what are vital to winning games.

“The goal was silky and sexy, that was a good finish. What’s nice is having conceded a goal, we didn’t look like conceding another one, whereas the other night (against Crystal Palace) we were a bit flaky.

“The guys have gone on and made the chance and it was a great break and great finish.”

But McCarthy said: “I can understand why Burnley were moaning about it. I haven’t seen it again, but I just thought he stood his ground. If he stands still and doesn’t back in, I think it is a goal.

“I thought the one in the first half when he (Grant) dropped it and the referee gave it (was nothing). I was whinging like a drain because I thought he had given a free-kick necessary.”

McCarthy was asked about whether Town could have made the game safe before Campbell’s dramatic winner after the final ball of Edwards and Nigel Reo-Coker just failed to create golden chances.

The manager said: “What he (Edwards) did was right, he just didn’t do it properly. I also thought Nigel Reo-Coker didn’t execute the final pass properly when we had a good break after. “I’ll have a look at it on Monday, maybe he could have had a shot. But if you have got DJ Campbell in your eye-sight, I’d roll it to him myself as I fancy him to score.”

John, I think myself that he was actually defending the players, by saying that he would have done the same thing himself, and would have to look at it on Monday, which also deflects attention from the players.
I agree completely with you that we do not want the sort of treatment that Loach had from Jewell, yet I do not think this is that. Not at all.

Ex-Ipswich Town homegrown star Titus Bramble is back at the club as a youth team coach. STUART WATSON spoke to him about an emotional trip to Ghana and how he wants the Blues’ current teenagers not to repeat his mistakes.